


Day and Night

by necromancy_enthusiast



Series: Danganronpa Rarepair Week 2018 [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Japanese Culture, Kimono, Opposites Attract, this is admittedly a pretty loose interpretation of the prompt but oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 21:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15300843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necromancy_enthusiast/pseuds/necromancy_enthusiast
Summary: As Sonia prepares for her first firework festival with Akane, she reflects on their relationship.For the Danganronpa Rarepair Week Day 1 Prompt: Fireworks.





	Day and Night

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Finally publishing something wlw? Amazing. If you’re unfamiliar with the kimono-related terminology used, there’s a tiny primer in the notes section at the end about various parts and kinds of kimono for reference.

“Are you almost done?”

 

“Just another moment, please.”

 

Akane sighed, looking over her shoulder to see Sonia struggling with the obi she insisted that Akane wear with her yukata. It had been at least ten minutes since Sonia had begun trying to tie the obi, and never had she wished for the assistance of her dressing maids back home more than now. Despite Akane’s extreme disdain for being fussed over, she had been a good sport for Sonia’s sake. But Akane had never had much patience, and what she had mustered up was starting to wear thin.

 

“Can’t you just tie it in a shoelace bow or something?” Akane asked.

 

“Absolutely not!” Sonia replied. “Now please, hold this,” she continued, handing one end of the obi to Akane. Akane sighed quietly, holding the end while Sonia struggled with the other, trying to remember exactly how to tie it into an elaborate fashion she had read about in a book some time ago.

 

It was Sonia’s first summer vacation in Japan. Last year, she’d returned home to Novoselic at her parents’ request, but this year she’d convinced them to let her stay. This finally gave her the chance to see one of the firework festivals she’d long to witness ever since she first read about them as a little girl. She was eager to go with her classmates, and especially with Akane.

 

“Ah, forget it, I don’t need an obi,” Akane said. “I’ve got the kumihimo tied on already, it’ll hold everything together fine.”

 

“Akane, I’m sorry, I really appreciate your patience...But just let me try for a little longer?” Sonia asked.

 

Akane sighed. “Alright, but just because I can’t stand it when you give me those puppy-dog eyes.”

 

Usually, when people found out that they’d been dating for a couple of months, they assumed it was a joke. They would laugh, but it would inevitability dissolve into uncomfortable, half-hearted chuckling once they saw the unchanged look on Sonia’s face and realized that yes, she was in fact dating Akane Owari.

 

Some had been polite enough to keep their doubts and questions to themselves. Others, however, were more than eager to express their confusion, even bewilderment.

 

_ Why would a princess ever date someone like her when she could have anyone she wanted? _

 

Another moment of silent struggle passed before Akane spoke up again. “Hey, maybe you should check Youtube or something. They must have videos about tying obi on there.”

 

Sonia stopped mid-action, looking up to meet Akane’s gaze.

 

“Youtube...Of course!” Sonia said. “You’re a genius, Akane!”

 

If Sonia had been told two years ago that many people in Japan didn’t know how to properly wear kimono in the traditional fashion, she would’ve been shocked. But she had learned a lot in her time here, a lot she never would’ve learned from books or foreign diplomats. For instance, not everyone in Japan knew how to wear traditional dress. Not everyone was intimately familiar with Japanese dramas. Not everyone was well versed in Japanese history. And the most relevant lesson to her current situation, putting on a kimono and tying an obi was not as easy as it seemed.

 

“I mean, I don’t get that compliment often, but hey, I’ll take it,” Akane smiled. Retrieving her smartphone, Sonia opened the Youtube app and quickly found a video guide on how to tie an obi. It was a much simpler fashion than she had originally wanted, but given how much time she’d already spent struggling with it, Sonia decided that at least in this case, she could settle.

 

One of the things Sonia had most looked forward to about attending her first firework festival was getting to wear a kimono. True, she had some back home, but they were all elaborate affairs, some with multiple layers that required the assistance of her dressing maids to properly put on, and the more casual nature of the festival called for a yukata instead. For weeks, she’d been looking forward to taking Akane shopping and finding the perfect outfits to wear together.

 

Of course, Sonia had done all the appropriate research beforehand. She had asked Hiyoko where her family purchased her kimonos, and took Akane to the most affluent store Hiyoko had mentioned. Sonia had to frame it as a ‘surprise date’, but Akane, despite what many thought, wasn’t totally clueless. She became more suspicious as they’d neared the store, and once she knew where they were going, had nearly refused to go in, citing every possible excuse.

 

_ “You know I don’t like dresses. Those things are so expensive! I’ll just end up tearing it or staining it, then you’ll have spent all that money for nothing.” _

 

It wasn’t just dresses that Akane tended to abstain from, she avoided just about any sort of elaborate or fancy clothing if she could get away with it, she didn’t even like wearing their school uniform. Despite Akane’s claims of more utilitarian reasons, Sonia could sense a deeper reservation.

 

“Aaaaaand...Done!” Sonia said. She lead Akane over to the full body mirror nearby and turned Akane around so she could admire Sonia’s handiwork.

 

“It’s nice babe,” Akane said. “You did way better than I would’ve.”

 

“Only because of your suggestion,” Sonia said.

 

“Hrmm…Can’t promise I won’t accidentally ruin it with all the street food I’m gonna eat, but you did insist.” She made a full turn as she checked her reflection in the mirror. “This is probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever owned.”

 

_ “Imagine how many people you could feed with all the money you’d spend on one of those kimonos. It feels like a waste.” _

 

Akane had never been secretive about her less-than-ideal background, about how she often went hungry and cold as a child, but she still hid things deep in her heart. She always insisted that she didn’t need much, just the feeling of the wind through her hair as she climbed and jumped across the city and a full sensation in her stomach. From an early age, she’d learned that asking for or wanting anything more was a sign of weakness. 

 

Sadness and vulnerability were also synonymous with weakness, and where Akane came from, the weak had a tendency of disappearing. Sonia couldn’t blame her, after all, she’d been taught that it was a princess’ duty to always smile and be strong for her people. There was no room for frailty, perceived or otherwise. If you were weak, you didn’t survive.

 

_ “I want to do this for you. You deserve something nice every now and then, don’t you think?” _

 

_ “Well…” _

 

_ “I’ll take you to your favorite ramen shop afterwards, my treat.” _

 

_ A beat passed. _

 

_ “I’m in.” _

 

Sonia had wanted to get Akane one of the gorgeous, elaborate furisode on sale, and had even talked Akane into trying one on. It was a brilliant shade of crimson with a gorgeous floral and mountain scenery pattern, and with matching kanzashi, Sonia had absolutely fawned over how beautiful Akane was. But Akane had balked at how confining and pointlessly complex the furisode was, and how hot it would be to wear in the middle of summer.

 

Sonia decided that in this case, Akane’s complaints were fair, so they opted instead for a deep blue yukata for Akane with a maple leaf pattern and a red obi to go with it, while Sonia purchased a lavender yukata with a chrysanthemum motif and light green obi for herself. The furisode would have to wait for colder months, hopefully by the time Akane had forgotten all her woes about being fussed over by what she referred to as ‘an army’ of dressing assistants.

 

“I suppose I should start on my own obi,” Sonia said, picking it up from the dresser nearby.

 

“I can...Try and help?” Akane offered. Sonia laughed, wrapping her arms around Akane.

 

“Don’t worry, I just need you to hold my phone up for me as the video plays.”

 

“Alright!” Akane said, picking Sonia’s phone up from where she’d placed it on the dresser. “I’m gonna hold the hell out of your phone!”

 

Sonia giggled boisterously at Akane’s remark, waiting until she calmed down to tell Akane to replay the video.

 

There were many things that Akane didn’t know, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t taught Sonia more than almost anyone else during her time in Japan. Akane had shown Sonia the best ramen shops in the city, how to ride public transit, the best way to minimize personal injury when falling, how to use more modern slang and vernacular. The nature of Akane’s knowledge and skills were vastly different from Sonia’s, but that didn’t mean it was any less valuable. Sonia wanted to learn everything she could, and Akane had been one of the best teachers she’d ever had.

 

Before long, Sonia’s obi matched Akane’s.

 

“Looks great,” Akane said

 

“Thank you. I’m glad it took much less time than yours.”

 

“Ah, it’s fine, as long as we make it in time for me to get first pick of the street vendors.” Sonia laughed again, something she did far more around Akane than most people.

 

“I’m sure they’ll have more than enough food for you and everyone else.”

 

“They’d better. It’s not a festival without good food.”

 

It was Mahiru that had said that Sonia and Akane were like day and night, and Sonia would be lying if she denied it. It wasn’t at all that she wanted to, though. After all, what would one be without the other? They brought out the best in each other, complimenting each others’ strengths while helping to address their weaknesses. And really, wasn’t that what love was all about?

 

“You ready to go?” Akane asked after Sonia had gotten her purse.

 

“Ready!” Sonia said. After they.made their way to the door, Akane linked arms with Sonia before they headed out into the dusk.

 

Later that night, as they watched the fireworks light up the sky, Sonia held Akane’s hand. True, they may have been like day and night, but just as true was that fact that without one, the other wouldn’t be as remarkable.

**Author's Note:**

> Yukata: An informal, unlined kimono consisting of only one layer meant for warm weather.  
> Furisode: A very formal, colorful kimono mostly worn by young women and girls. Consists of two or more layers. The kind of kimono Hiyoko is always wearing.  
> Obi: The ornamental sash worn with a kimono.  
> Kanzashi: Traditional Japanese hair accessories.  
> Kumihimo: AKA karihimo. It’s similar in function to an obi but more utilitarian, thinner, non-ornamental, and with a wider range of uses.


End file.
